Stargate Atlantis: Child's Play
by the morrighan
Summary: My version of a series six. This is the ninth story of twelve.
1. Chapter 1

Stargate Atlantis: Child's Play

"Colonel Sheppard."

At first John Sheppard didn't hear the summons. Or rather didn't pay attention to it. He was absorbed in his own thoughts as he strode purposefully down the hallway. His mind was on several things at once, thoughts racing from concerns to missions to recent events.

Vegas.

That nightmare.

"Colonel Sheppard!" The woman's voice was strident, a little breathless as she had to almost race to catch up with his long strides.

John smirked, hearing a trace of annoyance. He abruptly stopped and turned.

Moira O'Meara almost crashed into him but caught herself at the last second and stumbled backwards. She stared a moment. The military commander appeared irate, handsome face set in a scowl, although a flash of merriment danced briefly in his green eyes. There was a jagged scratch above one eye, and it made him appear both dangerous and sexy.

"Yes?" John asked, meeting her gaze. He waited. Waited. "Yes?" he repeated.

"Oh. I…I have that report," she stammered, collecting herself. "The one you wanted. The report you wanted about the, the new species."

"And?"

She frowned. "And I thought you wanted any information as soon as poss—"

"—ible, yes, where? Where is it?"

"In the lab. At least the preliminary results of the DNA analysis and a comparison to—"

"Show me."

She nodded, began to walk the way she had come. John watched her a moment, not following. The lack of a lab coat revealed the sway of her hips as she walked quickly. The khaki pants hugged her rear very agreeably.

Moira stopped. She turned to see that he hadn't moved. "Colonel? I can't show you from way over there," she chastised.

He smiled. "You just did, doctor." He strode to her and they resumed walking side by side. "Ballpark it for me," he suggested, gaze roving over the front of her shirt. The green t-shirt had an interesting Celtic design but it was faded.

"What? Oh. They're human."

"What? What?" He caught her arm, halting her.

She met his gaze. "Human, or rather a species of human."

"What?"

She sighed. "Let me show you." He freed her arm. They resumed walking. They took a transporter down two levels and across the city. They entered a bio lab. "Just give me a minute to bring up the data." She moved to a monitor. She touched it and the machine beeped, flaring to life as she quickly accessed the data. John realized that she had the ATA gene. "It will only take a few moments. I wanted to, to show you first-hand because, because no one will listen."

John was silent. He glanced round the lab but they were quite, quite alone. He neared with slow, silent steps, as if he would spook her but she was intent on her task, leaning slightly as her fingers danced across the keyboard. Her brown hair spilled along her shoulders. She moved a vase out of the way. It contained a single scarlet rose that was almost in full, luscious bloom. Its delicate fragrance wafted on the still air. He licked his lips, suddenly nervous. "I, I had sex."

Moira froze. She didn't know what to say. She turned to look at him. Her brown eyes were full of uncertainty, bafflement. He was silent, awaiting her reaction. "Congratulations, colonel. Do you want a medal?"

He smirked at the sarcasm, biting back a laugh. "Ah, no. I just…"

"Just what? Oh, I see." She turned back to the computer.

"You do? I mean…not that I didn't earn a medal, believe me," he added, feeling the need to brag if just a bit. "I just meant, I just meant it was very…it was just sex. It didn't mean anything. Not here. There. When I was gone I was in an alternate reality. On Earth. Vegas. And I…she thought I was him, me, I mean the me of that reality but he died so I, um, it didn't mean anything. It's not like I impersonated him because he's me, or was me…you can't impersonate yourself, you know. Can you? I mean it's not like I'm seeing anyone here, yet, and I probably shouldn't tell her about this if I was, should I?"

"I wouldn't."

"Ah. So, I just…there." He couldn't rationalize the inexplicable need to tell her. He scratched his head, his hair. He fidgeted as he stood waiting. "Moira?"

"Homo erectus."

"What?"

She glanced at him as she pulled on her lab coat, wrapping herself in science to douse any other emotions or reactions. "The species. Look. Look at the screen," she clarified as his gaze was moving from her face to her name embroidered on the lab coat. For some reason he seemed riveted by that area of the material, or perhaps what was underneath it. She knew it was a foolish thought and she dismissed it.

John was thinking about that scrap of material that was in his pants pocket. The one from the nightmare he had torn from her lab coat, when he couldn't bring himself to kill her until the very last moment. That nightmare that been a nightmare of course, but that scrap of material was real enough and it made him wonder. He also noted the swell of her breast underneath her name on the coat. Finally he looked at the screen. "That?"

"Yes." Moira was staring at him. She turned and opened another window. "The scan of the skeleton matches the species Homo erectus exactly, down to the skull's brow ridge and larger brain capacity, and sturdier build. Of course I have no DNA for a comparison but the DNA did confirm that they are human, a species of human but not our species. Did you know that once there were at least four different species of humans living simultaneously on Earth?"

"No." His voice was quiet as he stepped closer to eye the screens.

"You're probably wondering how I was able to narrow it down to this specific species." Before John could speak she continued. "You're thinking it's just a hominid, aren't you, like Doctor Simmons and the rest, but it's a hominin, clearly."

"There's a difference?" he asked, regretting it as she continued indignantly.

"Of course there's a difference! Hominids include humans and chimps and gorillas, and yes we are all genetically related and have a distant common ancestor before we all diverged through evolution. Hominins are human only, all species of humans whether it be H. sapiens or H. rudolfensis or H. antecessor or H. heidelbergensis or Neanderthals or H. hablis or H. erectus! The point is this! Look at this footage! I could salvage most of it from what I filmed." She opened another screen. "From a comparison of the scans to known fossils and skulls this species is Homo erectus, or a variant thereof that has somehow evolved to this development of the—"

"Whoa, doctor, I'm not arguing with you. Just go easy on the Latin, please."

She glanced at him, smiled at his pained expression. "Sorry, colonel. The point is that these aliens aren't aliens at all, but a species of human. It is plausible that in their galaxy their species won out over ours. Imagine a world where Homo sapiens died out or never evolved at all, and Homo erectus inherited the world. I know what you're thinking. The grey skin? It could have been an environmental adaptation to a different sun, a different atmosphere, or a different gravity that could also explain their heavier build. Of course the mechanical interface is what is most intriguing. It's not an organic implant but a manufactured one fused with the neural centers of the frontal lobe and…colonel?"

John was staring fixedly at the screen. He had been watching the grainy footage of the aliens. "The markings?"

She stared a moment. He seemed to have accepted everything she had said without question. "Um, who knows? A symbol, a tribal symbol or religious symbol I don't know. Indicative of class or rank like the Wraith, or a societal inference or even a company logo, I don't know."

"They're more advanced. The ships, the weapons, the neural implant, the armor, even." He met her gaze. "Do you think this species is more advanced than we are? They must be," he answered before she could reply, "given that they have spaceships and laser weaponry and a level of technology that is compensatory with the Ancients if not more advanced. Do you think they have a language or a—"

"Colonel Sheppard to the control room!" spit out of the PA from the wall.

"Hang on." John tapped his earpiece, gaze moving back to the screen. "This is Sheppard."

"John! We've found a power fluctuation in the third quadrant and when we went to investigate it we found a virtual orgy of laboratories and then—"

"Slow down, Rodney! The third quadrant? Are you sure? That's been sealed off for years."

"Of course I'm sure! I'm standing in it right now! You have to see this!"

"On my way. Sheppard out." He met her gaze. "Sorry about that. If what you say is true then these fuglies should go down like people, right? I mean they will have the same basic anatomy and weaknesses and we can kill them."

"Homo erectus," she corrected, "and yes, although their physiology is more robust and stronger, but yes, they should be able to be killed like us."

He nodded. "Thanks, Moira. I've got to go check on this. Have this report ready to present at the debrief in an hour."

"The…no. I mean I already gave the, the report to Doctor Simmons and he apprises Mr. Woolsey and does the—"

"But he didn't, is that it? Well, I'm asking you to do it in an hour, Moira." He headed for the door.

"Colonel? Colonel, wait! John! John, I can't!" She rushed after him. "John, I mean I just can't—"

He turned to her, smiled. "You just can, Doctor O'Meara. One hour. And find out why the Wraith can't feed on them while you're at it, all right?"

Before she could reply he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Stargate Atlantis: Child's Play2

John moved past technicians and marines and scientists. A new section of the city was being thoroughly explored and catalogued. The excitement was palpable. John entered a lab to find Rodney in the center, seemingly entranced by a hologram display of the entire galaxy. The display bathed the physicist in hues of blue, making him appear like an apparition as well. "Rodney? Rodney! Rodney what's the big deal here?"

"What? Oh." Rodney McKay smiled, stepping out of the display. It hovered above him for a few seconds before dissolving into nothing. "Hi John. It's astounding!"

"What? A new lab? City's full of 'em," John laconically noted.

"Ha ha. Look!" Rodney spread his arms theatrically. "There are machines here that we can't even initialize, much less know what they do!"

"Great. More stuff that doesn't work? And that's astounding?"

"No! Yes! No! There!" He pointed.

John followed the other man's gesture. He stared, hand sliding to the gun holstered at his thigh. He neared, stepping past people. "Pods?"

"Yes, colonel!" Radek Zelenka moved to his feet, excitement on his face. The blue glow from the hologram display was reflected on his glasses. "These are empty so far, but just think if we found a dormant Ancient again!"

An awkward pause came and went as they recalled the last person they had found in an Ancient pod. They had found an aged Elizabeth Weir from another reality who had saved their lives in this reality by voluntarily relinquishing her own and who had peacefully expired in their care.

"Cryogenics," Carson Beckett said, joining them. "But that's not all. The medical advances are astounding! More so than in the infirmary! They've compiled a database of all life forms in this galaxy! From what I've been able to discover so far all human life came from our own galaxy which means that humans did not originate here, at least not initially, but the—"

"Whoa, doc, all life? So the fuglies are there?"

"The what?" Carson asked.

"That's his name for the aliens," Ronon Dex explained with a shrug. The Satedan was looking round, appearing disinterested but his gun was in quick reach, just in case. He was trying to ignore the concerned gaze of Amelia Banks as she watched him for any signs of weakness or pain. "It means fu—"

"I know what it means, son," Carson hurriedly cut him off before the swear word hit the air, "and no. Come to think of it…no." A frown crossed the doctor's face.

John mirrored the frown with one of his own. "You should have looked for that first, doc," he chided. "You do know that the fuglies are human too, well, a species of human. And if they didn't originate here then they must have come from another galaxy entirely."

"Excuse me? Oh…that theory. Yes, Doctor Simmons ran that by me and we had to agree it is rather unlikely. Even the Wraith are in this database, John, perhaps even their origins are there waiting to be discovered! If I can find the place of origin for the—"

"Back up. Rather unlikely? Why?" He folded his arms across his chest, feeling oddly protective of the evolutionary biologist and her theories.

"It's quite a leap, John, albeit an intriguing one, but so far it is based on limited evidence and we both agree that it is unlikely another species of human could have ended up out here much less survived and then—"

"What if they were seeded, like the humans were in this galaxy?" John asked. "What if they were left to evolve and adapt to a planet very different from our own, where they out-competed us, our own species?"

"You've been talking to Doctor O'Meara," Carson realized.

"She's been talking to me," John corrected. "And frankly I don't see how her theories are any more outlandish than what we've encountered in this galaxy. Wraith. Replicators. Alternate realities. So?"

"John! This equipment is very ATA selective! I need your mojo to power up this console! It's got computations on quantum engineering! John!" Rodney called loudly.

John ignored the excited physicist. "So?" he repeated.

Carson shrugged. "All right, you've got a point, but it's not really my specialty. I was just taking Doctor Simmons at his word since he is the head of biology."

"See if you can find anything in there about the fuglies. Rodney?"

Rodney turned, exasperated. "Finally? This one! It's got a database of the entire universe but it won't let me activate it! I think it might have the entire Stargate network of both galaxies and every single planet in the system!"

"Including the one you blew up?" John quipped. He smiled at his friend's glare and stepped to the console. "Whoa," he muttered, feeling the strange interface of man and machine. The console seemed to purr at his touch and powered quickly. John concentrated a moment, freeing any locks that may have been in place to protect the information the system contained.

Rodney shook his head. "The stronger the ATA is the stronger the response. Interesting. It's as if this level had some sort of restricted access, only available to stronger ATA gene types, like yourself. Except when you activate something it seems to respond very, very enthusiastically."

"See if you can find anything about the galaxies beyond this one," John instructed, ignoring the speculative stare of the scientist. He ignored the sudden suspicion on the other man's face as he eyed his friend.

"John, is there something you want to tell me? Your connection to the city seems to be getting stronger and the—"

"It's nothing, Rodney, just my powerful mojo, all right? Get any intel on the galaxies outside of this one, all right?"

"Those aliens?" Rodney guessed, mind full of questions that had nothing to do with aliens and everything to do with John.

"Yeah." John stepped past him to a group of marines. They were standing around, guns in their hands, bored looks on their faces. Except for one as her gaze was encompassing the entire room and everyone in it. "Major Teldy, is this whole section clear?"

"Yes, sir," the blond woman replied, meeting his gaze. "Some areas we haven't been able to power up yet and some doors remain locked, but the area is secure."

"Make sure they stay that way, for now. And keep this group together. No one is allowed to wander off by themselves…not even McKay, however tempting it is to let him." They smiled.

"Hey!" Rodney protested, but became absorbed by the scrolling data.

"Keep me posted."

"Yes sir. It's good to see you up and, and about sir."

"Thanks. It's good to be up and about. I hate those infirmary beds." He stepped to Ronon. "How're you feeling?" he asked, glancing at the Satedan's waist and legs but seeing no sign of any obvious weakness or bandages.

"Fine. You?"

"Fine. You know, you really don't need to be down here if you—"

"I'm fine!" Ronon snapped, glaring. He stomped across the room.

John stared after him, concerned, but decided to leave it for now. Whatever injury the Satedan had sustained apparently it was healing and he was on the mend. He shook his head at his friend's stubbornness.

John stepped out of the room, making his way past people. He paused. He touched a panel. A soft light gleamed and it slid open. John touched the screen. A map of the entire city was instantly available to him. He studied it a moment, noting the location of the new area compared to the central hub of Atlantis and the layouts of the other labs. His fingers slid along the layout. Blue lines became more vivid.

He could almost feel the city like a living thing, like a heartbeat that was pumping in time to his own. It was eerie. It was exhilarating. He could sense the tendrils of power as they were being accessed all over the city, people doing their jobs, completing their everyday tasks. He could feel the automated systems running smoothly. He could feel when some systems were denying the people trying to access them and he smiled at their frustration.

John freed the screen and shut the panel. He wondered how far he could go. How much he could activate and control if he really applied himself and concentrated. He looked round but he was alone in the hallway. He could hear the babble of excited voices in the labs.

Having flown the entire city he speculated what else he could get it to do.

Or what the city could get him to do.

"Sheppard." John turned at the voice. He was silent, watching as Ronon stepped to him, scowling. "Sorry." The Satedan seemed unaccountably uncomfortable.

"Ah. Amelia sent you?"

"Yes. Women," he muttered, shaking his head.

John smiled. "Yeah, I know, buddy. Okay." He looked at the panel again.

"You ever want a kid?"

"Huh?" The question threw him and John met the Satedan's grave gaze. "Um, I never really thought about it. I guess, someday in the future…maybe…a son. Why?"

"No reason." Ronon began to head back towards the lab, a slight limp marring his gait.

"Ronon? Wait, Ronon? What's up? Is there something…" John broke off as his friend disappeared into the lab. A joke was on John's lips about a little Ronon Dex somewhere in the galaxy but it remained unsaid as darker thoughts coalesced concerning the Satedan's injury. John recalled the scream of the big man as he had been attacked by those alien creatures.

He recalled the blood soaking his lower body.

He recalled Carson's look of shock and sorrow.

John swallowed as horrible possibilities played in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Stargate Atlantis: Child's Play3

Moira hesitated, perched near the conference room. She clutched a data pad to her like a shield. She wasn't looking into the room, however, but across from it at the glass wall. She was looking at the image of John that was reflected there, wavering as the nearby bubbling waters distorted his features. He flashed into the crystal mirror, "Tirra lira," by the river his lips seem to form the words as the watery image rippled on the wall.

Moira shook her head and stepped to the open doorway. "The enzyme."

John looked up from the report he had been reading to see Moira hovering in the doorway. He gestured for her to enter but she remained poised there. He frowned, shoved the report aside. "What?"

"The answer to your question about why the Wraith can't feed on the Homo erectus."

"The fuglies, yeah," he corrected, causing her to frown. "The enzyme?"

"Yes." She left.

John swore under his breath, but a smile formed as he stood and strode after her. Moira was descending the stairs. "O'Meara, hang on a minute, would ya? O'Meara!"

She turned at the bottom step, waited until he had reached her. He was both irate and amused and his expression intrigued her. "Colonel Sheppard?"

"That's it?"

"It's in the report." At his blank look she added, "The report I forwarded to Doctor Simmons and Mr. Woolsey and yourself ten minutes ago?" She sighed. "Don't you ever read anything I give you?"

"I'm behind in my reading. So, the enzyme?"

"It's in the report," she stubbornly asserted.

"Colonel Sheppard, do you copy?"

John tapped his earpiece. "This is Sheppard. Go ahead, Teldy."

"Sir, Doctor Beckett thinks he has found something. He wants you to take a look."

"On my way. Sheppard out. O'Meara, come with me."

"Why?"

"You can explain on the way about the enzyme," John insisted.

"There isn't time. It's all in the—"

"Enzyme, now. Please," he added, softening his peremptory tone.

She sighed and walked with him. "It's only a guess but given the chemical composition of the enzyme and its subsequent development via the human species and the Wraith species I think that it is non-existent in the Homo erectus species or even in that galaxy."

"Sorry I asked," he quipped. "Relevance?"

She smiled at his tone. "The Wraith never evolved in that galaxy, colonel. And I don't think that the Ancients went there either, or if they did they didn't stay there."

"No 'Gate system," John mused as they made their way towards the new section of the city. "That could be to our advantage. What about the serum? Would it have any effect on them?"

"Doubtful. For all we know their biochemistry is very different from ours. If we had more tissue samples or a specimen we could test it."

"You may get your wish, Moira."

John entered the bio lab. Carson and Alison Porter were locked in an animated discussion, hands waving in the air, voices rising in excitement. John snorted, glanced at Moira but she was moving to a distant console, seemingly entranced by something there. He moved to the doctors. "Carson, Dr. Porter, time out! Care to share the excitement?"

"John!" Carson exclaimed, meeting his gaze. "This is incredible! The database has—"

"Any intel on the fuglies?"

"Homo erectus," Moira corrected over her shoulder.

"What? No, nothing."

"Then I'm not interested." John turned to go.

"John! There's a whole database here, a genetic database!"

"And embryos!" Alison said, sweeping her arm to a bank of small pods. Pod after pod was glowing softly, revealing tiny forms within each one. "All are in stasis and have been for centuries! The Ancients were experimenting with the ATA gene, trying to isolate it into a single RNA protein! To find a way to promote it's occurrence in humans!"

"They're manipulating DNA at a level we cannot even begin to reach, much less understand!" Carson agreed.

John looked from one to the other. He looked at the rows and rows of pods. He glanced at Moira who was watching. He gestured, quirked a brow. She nodded. He turned back to them. "You're telling me that those pods are full of embryos…human embryos?"

"Mostly, yes…none are viable, however," Carson assured, but Alison frowned.

"Great. And how does that help us?"

"It doesn't. Not yet, but the scientific advancement alone is worth the—"

"On your time Carson, not mine. If there is nothing about the fuglies or the Wraith for that matter then move on."

"Oh, there's plenty about the Wraith, colonel," Alison informed.

"Okay, now I'm interested. Go on," John encouraged.

The two doctors exchanged a glance. "I'm not sure where to begin," Carson admitted with a smile. "Anatomy, physiology, behavior, proteins, enzymes, it's all here down to the genetic interface of man and bug and I believe the very origin could be here as well. But that's not the exciting part. The exciting part is that—"

"Some of those embryos may contain Wraith DNA and we have to revive them!"

"Whoa, those are Wraith?" John eyed the pods and their disturbing contents. "Those are Wraith kids? O'Meara?" He beckoned with his hand again.

Moira sighed and left the console to step to him. She stepped to the pods, eying their gruesome contents, read the scrolling text on the monitors. She peered into a few, both intrigued and disturbed by the contents. "Probably not, colonel, at least not fully Wraith but not fully human either. And not fully formed judging by their development."

"They are not full Wraith, no, but from what we've discovered so far they may contain elements of Wraith DNA," Alison agreed, "and some may be human!"

"Rather like Teyla," Carson added, "but at a more direct level. As if they were trying to harvest a whole new species…and as for reviving them that is out of the question."

"Carson! We need to try! Whatever these children possess it could be invaluable to both Wraith research and ATA research! These specimens have been here for centuries! They could be hybrids that may give us vital clues to defeat the Wraith or even reverse the process!"

"We tried that and it was a dismal failure," Carson asserted. Recalling the experiment that had resulted in Michael he felt a shiver.

"O'Meara?" John asked, gaze moving to her as she was staring at the pods.

She shook her head. "I don't think the research would be valid, in any case. The Wraith have evolved along with the Ancients, and whatever is in these…specimens is probably inert and degraded after so much time. Hybridization at this level could result in anything." She peered closer, but drew back. "They are deformed…disfigured…"

"We still have to try!" Alison insisted.

"No." John eyed the pods as Moira returned to the console. Her reaction told him all that he needed to know. "Destroy them."

"What?" Both doctors exclaimed, exchanging a glance.

"You heard. Anything with Wraith DNA is a threat. Destroy them."

"With that reasoning we would have to destroy Teyla as well, John. You can't just—"

"I can just, and will, Carson. Who knows what possible contagions could be contained in those things after centuries? Hybridization at that level could result in things we haven't even imagined yet, or can counteract! Monsters, even, and I for one have no desire to run into any more horror like that, do you? Major Teldy, gather as much C4 as you think will be necessary to—"

"John! You can't! Some of those could be fully human! You can't—"

"I can." John stepped to a computer and accessed the screen he needed. "I can do it this way as well, can't I?" He concentrated as the data streamed, as the city was like a whisper in his mind. A memory of Ancient scientists floated briefly, conducting experiments and harvesting cells to develop into new life forms to be analyzed, observed and dissected. "Centuries old…specimens created solely for experimentation from living cells and manufactured…" He had closed his eyes as the information filled his mind. "They've been kept inert for a reason."

"Colonel, please! We need those specimens! You are destroying years of research that we have only now begun to discover ourselves! At least allow us to revive a few and take them to the Alpha site to—"

"Hell no, I've seen that movie!" John remarked, for he had seen the past, however briefly. He didn't need to type the commands as he thought them, but his fingers crossed the keys anyway as he inputted his codes. The lights flickered on the rows and rows of pods. An alarm blared like a thousand tiny screams. He opened his eyes.

Things began to violently shake in the pods.

"John, no!" Carson tried to pull him back but found a gun pointed at him by Ann. "For God's sake, man, you are killing them!"

"The city is killing them like it wanted to years ago!" John snapped.

"Stand back, doctor," Ann warned. "Go ahead, sir."

"Thank you, Ann. I won't allow any threat to this city to exist, and the city tells me this is a threat." He shook off Carson's hold.

"It does, does it? Why didn't it tell me, then?" Carson scoffed.

"Maybe it did but you ignored it. Done."

Alison was shaking her head as one by one, row by row the pods all went dark. Liquids bubbled, then calmed as life support was drained from them. "How could you do this, colonel? Those were dormant but living embryos? Some were human! Humans in the early stages of fetal development and they could have been Ancients!"

"And some were Wraith and God knows what else! Most were deformed experiments and a threat to this city! I'm not running a nursery here but an expedition, and right now we have an enemy on the doorstep which is my priority!" He met Carson's gaze. "Sorry, doc, but maybe some things should remain beyond us right now. Stand down, Teldy."

"Yes, sir." Ann replaced the gun in her holster. She eyed the darkened pods, an expression of distaste on her pretty face, and relief now that the things inside of them were destroyed.

"I hope to God you know what you are doing, colonel," Alison hissed as she moved past him.

"I do. You can still access the data base and whatever else you need."

John felt the reassuring touch of the city and was satisfied.


	4. Chapter 4

Stargate Atlantis: Child's Play4

"Colonel Sheppard."

John welcomed the soft summons. He looked over to see Moira sitting at the console in the back. Data was scrolling intermittently.

"We couldn't get that system to operate," Alison said, still upset at the rampant destruction.

"She did." John walked over to Moira. He stood behind her. "Doctor O'Meara?" He eyed the screen. He leaned close, hand resting on her shoulder. "That symbol."

It flickered on the screen. It was the same marking John had seen on the ship, on the alien's armor. He had even seen it in Vegas. Now it was here on the screen in the city.

"Looks the Ancients had some kind of encounter," Moira noted. "I can't get any info on it. The file is heavily corrupted, but it does prove contact at some point."

"Certainly it's no coincidence," John agreed.

"You did the right thing, John," she softly soothed as she tried to access more information. "Normally I would be arguing against the destruction of specimens but those, those things…something wasn't right. I can't explain it but…"

"Yeah, I felt it too and the city did as well," he agreed quietly. He looked over to see Carson and Alison watching them. Carson had a smile on his face. John suddenly straightened and freed her shoulder. "See if you can get anything else here. I'll have Rodney try to clean this up for you."

"It looks familiar, somehow…but I can't quite place it," she mused. She suddenly noticed the absence of his touch. "John?"

John was striding out of the lab. "What? Get to work, all right?" he snapped at the staring doctors. Carson's smile was making him uncomfortable.

"John! It's nearly complete!" Rodney exclaimed, meeting him in the hallway. "It's a map of the universe, well this galaxy and the 'Gate network and come look at this!"

"I need you to direct more power to a particular console of data," John informed as he followed the physicist into an adjoining lab.

"Later. Look at this!" Rodney touched a keyboard and a large screen quietly rose from the console. "The Pegasus Galaxy in its entirety! Or should I say near entirety. Those blue dots represent Stargates. Some are in space but most are on planets."

"But not every planet," John noted, studying the display.

"No. Like here. It's scanning in real time with long range sensors. This blank space," Rodney tapped the screen, "is where M17TQ9 was. The shockwave came from here. It's been obliterated, John, the whole planet. And I bet the debris contains the same peculiar energy signature of radiation like we found on the debris from the Wraith ship."

"A weapon, then. And you may have found the point of entry?"

"Exactly! Assuming they came this way from out there." The physicist gestured beyond the star chart to the blackness of unknown space. "And assuming this was first contact with our galaxy, this galaxy."

"Can you determine their exact twenty now?"

"No, not yet," he amended to John's stare, "but I'm working on it. I need to add in that unique signature and track it that way, within the parameters of the—"

"Whatever. Locate the ships. All of them."

"All of them? You think there are more than, than one?" Rodney nervously asked.

"Yes. We need to determine if this is a scouting party or a preliminary invasion force. Locate all of the Wraith ships first."

"The Wraith ships? Why?"

"When you find the trajectory of the Hive ships extrapolate backwards and you will find the fuglies."

"The huh? Oh! You believe the Wraith are fleeing from the fuglies?"

"Yes. I need to know their twenty ASAP, and their heading and their number. But first I need you to power up a console in the bio lab. Divert whatever power is necessary and clean up all of the degraded files."

"Gee, John, is there anything else I can do for you?" Rodney snapped.

John smiled. "Yeah, get me a turkey sandwich while you are at it." He turned. Everyone was watching him and he suddenly realized why. He was taking charge of the city, just like that, without any preamble or thought. He was issuing directives and making orders without consulting Woolsey at all. He frowned, added almost as an afterthought, "I'll go apprise Woosley of the situation down here. Teldy."

"Colonel?" Ann asked, snapping to attention.

"Have your team do a full sweep of the next level but do not allow anyone down there. Radio me if you find something interesting."

Without another word he exited the lab.

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Rodney sighed. Grumbling under his breath he finally tore himself away from the computer and all the new toys he had found. He entered the adjacent lab. "All right, all right, which one of you needed the power boost and data extraction?"

"No one, Rodney. I did it."

Rodney stopped, stared at Carson as if the doctor had suddenly sprouted two heads. "Excuse me?"

Carson smiled. "I took care of it. Somehow my ATA has gotten stronger, like John's and with a little bit of concentration and persuasion I was able to do what was needed." He glanced at the back of the lab where Moira was working. "Somehow I have a more intimate connection to the city now, but not as intimate as John's."

Rodney scoffed. "What? Is he dating the city now?

Carson chuckled. "Something like that. Anyhow it's all done."

"Are you telling me that now you have this, this whatever it is, this extra mojo in your ATA?" The physicist sounded jealous.

Carson shrugged. "Maybe…apparently. I can't quite explain it yet but yes."

"Or the city boosted its own power as we are activating several systems in this section more likely," Rodney stated, preferring the more rational explanation. "So I wasted my time walking over here?"

"Evidently," Carson agreed. "You wasted two point two seconds."

Rodney scowled at the audible snorts of amusement at his expense. "And now I will waste three point two seconds getting back to work. Thanks, Carson!"

"Anytime, Rodney. Oh, Rodney, if you wouldn't mind could you grab us some turkey sandwiches as well? We're all a bit peckish."

Laughter chased the irate physicist out of the lab.

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"John, I was just about to page you," Richard Woolsey said as he stood in the control room. Radek Zelenka was muttering in Czech, never a good sign. "We've just about bolstered the naquadah interface to attempt a dialing to Earth."

"Audio contact only," Radek warned.

"That's a start," John said. "Tell them we need the Daedalus here ASAP, and whatever additional firepower they can muster."

"Expecting trouble?" Richard asked.

"Yes. Those fug…those aliens are on the verge of this galaxy now, but they won't stay there forever. If that scouting part was any indication they'll be on the move soon enough, and frankly we don't have the resources or the means to meet them head-on."

"Understood." The two men watched as the power flared. Chuck Campbell began the dialing sequence to Earth after a nod from Radek. One by one the chevrons lit, flared. The 'Gate began to turn, to turn and then with a whine it stopped. The lights faded and the naquadah generator issued an audible pop before going dark. Radek commenced to swear in Czech as he moved to the defunct device.

Richard sighed, shaking his head. "Have the new labs yielded anything?" he asked, refusing to yield to despair at yet another disappointing result.

"Yes. Quite a lot, actually," John answered, turning from the disastrous attempt to view the older man. "We've found some interesting intel on the galaxy and planets and the Wraith. We've got a possible lead on the fug…the aliens too. What about Earth? Can you handle the flak that's coming?"

Richard smiled. "That won't be a problem. I can cut through it with this new information and our dire need for aid." His smile faded. "It is dire?"

"It could be. If we can cut these guys off before they even get close to Atlantis we'd be in a much better position."

"You're thinking we could have done that if we hadn't have left Pegasus."

John shrugged. "Yeah. But we had to leave to defend Earth. There wasn't a choice, really."

"There was a choice, colonel, and I believe we made the right one. We all do. We can't be responsible for this entire galaxy, no matter what the indigenous population believes. We're here now and that's the important thing. I would like our missions to resume. We need to reestablish our alliances, if possible."

"Understood. I'll put together a roster ASAP. I want to head out towards the edges of the galaxy."

"Are you sure that is wise?"

"No, but we need intel if we are going to stop these guys." He glanced round noting the result of not having enough intel on the last mission. The absence of Lorne was a constant shadow that could not be erased, nor forgotten.

Nor forgiven.

Richard nodded. "I think it's time we contact the heads of the Coalition again, even if that means the Genii. We only stand a chance if we stand together."

"Good luck convincing the Genii of that," John morosely quipped.


	5. Chapter 5

Stargate Atlantis: Child's Play5

John suppressed a yawn behind his hand. It was getting late. He was heading to the new section of labs in the city to check if any progress had been made. Shadows striped the floor as he walked, lights dimmed to mark his passage. He heard raised voices and quickened his steps.

"You just can't accept anything outside the narrow parameters of your own observations!"

"And you don't understand the implications of these theories! If they even prove to be half true the resulting chaos would be—"

"Of course I do! You can't accept them! Don't you think I know the implications of these findings? And once I prove them it changes everything! All of our ideas about evolutionary development will be thrown out the window! You can't ignore the facts for some misguided belief system!"

"If you can prove them! If! We're dealing with too many unknowns here! I will edit this for now! Until we can prove definitively one way or the other the subject is classified!"

"You can't do that! I will tell Colonel Sheppard because he wants any and all intel on the—"

"You will not tell Colonel Sheppard a thing about this, do you hear me? You really think he wants to hear from you? You really think he gives a damn what you say or what you do? You're just one of many on my staff! Besides, the entire explanation will go over this head!"

"I don't think so! And shouldn't he be the one to decide what is relevant to the—"

"Goddam it, Moira, if you breathe a word of this to anyone I will bar you from all research, including the paleontology discoveries!"

"You wouldn't! What kind of scientist are you to want to suppress the facts, however radical or wild they may be, just so smooth over your own beliefs and your—"

"I will make your life here a living hell if you so much as dare to—"

"Whoa, whoa, stand down!" John rushed to intervene as the two scientists faced down each other. He stepped to Moira's side. By the virulent tone of the man's voice he had been expecting Simmons to hit Moira, and he would not tolerate that. "What's going on here?" he demanded in a snarl.

"Just a disagreement, Colonel Sheppard," Alan Simmons assured, glancing at Moira. "We disagree about the new species. I will have the report for you in the morning."

"No. I want a report now. From her." He looked at Moira. She was flushed from arguing, her hair slightly askew from her ponytail, her brown eyes full of challenge and ire.

"She can't—"

"She can. Why don't you leave and go write up your own report?"

"I can't allow her to spout off about the—"

"That wasn't a request." There was steel in John's voice, in his stance, in his green eyes as he directed his own ire onto the other man.

Alan glanced at Moira again, then to John. With a muttered expletive he departed the lab.

John watched his every step, gaze narrowing dangerously. "That was one hell of a fight."

"It wasn't a fight. It was a disagreement, that's all. A discussion." He looked at her, disbelief on his handsome face. She turned away, embarrassed by his scrutiny. "Let me bring up the data."

John smiled, watching her move to the console. He had enjoyed watching her argue. For some reason it was turning him on, which he found both amusing and puzzling. He followed after her, enjoying the lack of her lab coat again.

Moira sat and pulled out the chair next to her. "Here, colonel. Sit. You look tired."

"Thanks. And it's John, by the way. We're off the clock." He glanced at his watch. "Way off the clock," he noted, seeing the late hour. "I…oh." There was a bottle of beer on the table in front of him. It had magically appeared out of nowhere.

Moira smiled as his eyes lit up and a smile curved his lips. "Here. You look like you could use one."

"Yeah, I could. Thanks." He opened it and drank. He licked his lips. "So…fuglies?"

She had been watching him, entranced by the motion of his mouth, of his lips, of his tongue. His words interrupted her reverie. "What? Don't call them that," she scolded. "Homo erectus."

"I can't say that. Especially to a woman," he stated in deadpan seriousness, but merriment twinkled in his eyes.

"You…John!" she scolded.

He chuckled, a low, sexy sound. He raised a brow. She smiled, looked at the screen. "It will take a few minutes to bring up."

"Not if you argue again."

"What?"

"Nothing." He smiled, drank his beer, tilting back in his chair at a perilous angle, getting comfortable and quite possibly showing her the effect of her arguing on certain parts of his anatomy.

She stared a moment, suspicious, enchanted by his seemingly flirtatious behavior. She turned back to the screen. "Simply put, colonel, er, John," she corrected to his sudden noise of clearing his throat in reprimand, "this symbol. I knew I'd seen it before this expedition but I couldn't place it until I looked through some old research. Look." She brought up another window next to the first one. "This same symbol is in the Atlantis records that date back at least ten thousand years. There's not much data here, only a notation about the mark on some nameless planet and there's no mention of Homo erectus anywhere."

John was sitting up now, fully alert. He set aside the half empty beer bottle. "And that one?" He pointed to the second window on the screen. His knee bumped hers as he scooted closer.

"This is from a cave in Southern France on Earth. It's a site dating back to at least fifteen thousand years ago. It had some cave paintings but they are very primitive and the only the bones of Homo erectus where found there. Only the bones of Homo erectus, colonel, er, John, no other species which presupposes that they were responsible for the artwork and this symbol."

John looked from one to the other. "They're almost the same."

"Nearly identical," she agreed. She waited, but he was silent. "Well?"

"And there wasn't any intel in the Ancient data base about them at all, apart from the symbol?"

"John! You're missing the point!"

"I'm making the point, Moira. I need to know about these guys here and now, not about their prehistoric past from…oh."

She nodded as the realization dropped upon him. "Yes. It could just be convergent evolution which suggests a whole new theory of life beyond Earth, life similar to Earth way out here and beyond unless the Ancients did in fact seed that galaxy with Homo erectus as they seeded this galaxy with us, Homo sapiens. Perhaps the experiment did not succeed and they turned to us instead. Perhaps the Ancients wanted to prove that life could exist in each galaxy, not just life but human life, the human species. But they expunged the records. The alternative is the development of life independently from Earth on another planet in another galaxy, not only life but human life. You can see the implications and why Simmons is so afraid to talk about it."

"Ah."

She waited, but that was all he said. He was rocking back in his chair again, sipping his beer. "John! Don't you see the—"

"Yes. But at the moment I need intel on the fuglies here and now. Not their past or their origins but their present."

"John!" Moira exclaimed again. "Fine." She sighed, swore under her breath and closed the windows.

"Is that a pig?"

"Huh?" She eyed the monitor before she powered it down. "No, it's an entelodont. Just think of the possibilities, John! If this extinct creature exists out here who know what other extinct megafauna might be thriving on some other planet! Living specimens, not just fossils! But one lone specimen doesn't prove the existence of others, just the possibility. I wish I could go back there but when we lost…" She stopped talking. Her enthusiasm melted under a cloud of grief, of guilt. The name was unsaid but hung in the air anyway.

Lorne.

John swallowed his beer. He set the empty bottle aside and stood. He touched her arm, drawing her troubled, sorrowful gaze to his. He stared at the misery in her brown eyes. He licked his lips. "It wasn't your fault, Moira." His voice was rasping, low, shot through with unspoken emotion and weariness.

She felt a surge of tears and concern but forced both back as she moved to her feet. "It was. All of it. I…I'm sorry, John, I'm so sorry! If not for me we wouldn't have gone back there. If not for me you wouldn't have had to kill Ford. If not for me we, we wouldn't have lost, lost Evan. We…you, I'm sorry, I keep making so many mistakes and I'm sorry I just…"

John pulled her into his arms, into a hug. "It's not your fault, Moira," he soothed. Instinct had prompted the uncharacteristic action, but now that he thought about it he felt both pleased and uncertain. He freed her after a moment. Normally he was never this demonstrative and now he was the awkward one. "Don't feel like that."

"It wasn't your fault either, John," she asserted, meeting his gaze. Already she mourned the loss of his arms around her, the warmth of his long, lean body pressed to hers.

"I should go. It's getting late." He turned, headed for the doorway. He turned back to see her watching him, emotions crossing her face. He stepped to her again, expression serious. "If you find anything else about the fuglies you let me know immediately, Moira, Simmons be damned. All right?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

"I'll see you later, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then." He lingered a moment, as if he had more to say, then abruptly turned and was gone.

Moira stared at the empty space where had been.


End file.
